reconnaissance

noun

re·​con·​nais·​sance ri-ˈkä-nə-zən(t)s 

-sən(t)s

: a preliminary survey to gain information

especially : an exploratory military survey of enemy territory

Examples of reconnaissance in a Sentence

There are two helicopters available for reconnaissance.

They did a reconnaissance of the enemy's position.

Recent Examples on the Web

In 1964, the National Police Board, together with the Swedish Police Association, launched a trial assigning women to special tasks, once again limiting their work to investigative, reconnaissance, and security patrol duties, without participation in regular uniformed service. —Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 3 Oct. 2025

To do this, the mission is leaning on the ER-2 (Earth Resources 2) aircraft, which is NASA's adaptation of the Lockheed Martin U-2 reconnaissance plane, optimized for civilian missions. —Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2025

Pistorius warned that 39 Chinese and Russian reconnaissance satellites were flying over Germany transmitting real-time surveillance data and said NATO allies needed to develop offensive capabilities needed to be developed in space to deter any threat. —Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025

Then, if a system develops from the wave moving into the Bahamas, additional flights would take place to get center position fixes every six hours, according to the reconnaissance schedule. —Doyle Rice, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, recognition, from Middle French reconoissance, from Old French reconoistre to recognize

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

reconnaissance

noun

re·​con·​nais·​sance ri-ˈkän-ə-zən(t)s 

: a survey (as of enemy territory) to gain information